Angel Trumpet (Brugmansia)

The Angel Trumpet, the common name for this plant, grows very well in Ajijic. This is a tropical plant that can grow to 10 feet in one season either in a container or in your garden.

What are the requirements of this plant?

• Moist, rich soil, well drained
• Full to part sun or light shade
• Fertilize every two weeks during the growing season and never let the soil dry out. The leaves will droop when they need water and will perk right back up.

Brugmansia belong to the Solanaceae family, which is also the family to which the tomato belongs. The name of the Solanaceae family is Latin ‘Solanum’ which means the Nighshade plant. Many plants from this family are edible and others have both toxic and edible parts. Also in this family is Datura but you can distinguish the two because Datura blooms point up and Brugmansia point down. Datura is also an herbaceous plant and Brugmansia is a woody plant. Angel Trumpet is a fragrant plant, mostly noticed at night. The flowers range in size from 4” to 24” and can be a single flower or a double flower which will bloom throughout the growing season (the summer and fall) or every 6-8 weeks depending on the variety. Then again, there are some varieties that will only flower during the cooler weather, so be sure you choose the right variety for you purpose.

They will probably bloom all year in Ajijic but you can let them go dormant during the winter, just by watering less and do not fertilize.

They bloom on new wood so when you prune, in a month or two you will see the new flowers.

They are also loved by many pests such as aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies and spider mites. By letting go dormant, you will have less pests but check them frequently to keep these critters under control. Insecticidal soap works fine.

Both plants are highly toxic so if you find your pets munching on them, find immediate help. The horses that roam the neighborhood usually are smart enough to not bother these beauties.

Brugmansia is used in shamanistic and religious rituals in the Andean area, except Chile. It is prepared in different ways but the hallucinations that result to interpret the guiding spirits are never-the-less similar.